Paper fastener



Oct. 23, 1928. 1,688,536

G. H. ENNIS PAPER FASTENER Filed March 22, 1928 Patented Oct. 23, 1928.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE H. ENNIS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PAPER FASTENER.

Application filed March 22, 1928. Serial No. 263,933.

This invention relates to fasteners for use with paper files or binders or for use in connection with various types of looseleaf book binders or as a means for holding loose sheets of paper to each other, and the object of the invention is to improve and simplify the construction for this purpose illustrated, described and claimed in Patents #1,557,996 granted on October 20, 1925, and #1,638,763 granted on August 9, 1927.

A further object of the present lnventlon is to provide a fastener of a very s mple construction which includes a penetratlng tongue and a locking bar, the tongue being bent at a right angle in its length so as to provide a terminal portion adapted to engage the l0cking bar and the locking bar being so formed as to have very firm engagement wlth the tongue.

A still further object is to provide a locking bar of thin sheet metal having inwardly turned, resilient flanges, and a tubular portion disposed in alignment with the inwardly turned flanges, the flanges acting to lock the tongue within the tubular portion against accidental detachment.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein A Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the manner in which the locking bar and tongue are used and showing one form of my invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view through the locking bar, the tongue being shown 1n elevation Figure 3 is a bottom plan view;

Figures 4 and 5 are sections on the lines 4-4.- and 5-5 of Figure 2 respectively;

Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of a modification of the structure shown in Figure 2;

Figure 7 is an under side plan view thereof;

Figures 8 and 9 are sections on the lines 8-8 and 99 of Figure 6 respectively;

Figure 10 is a longitudinal sectional view of another form of locking bar and flat tongue;

Figure 11 is an inside plan view, the tongue being in section;

Figures 12 and 13 are sections on the lines 12-12 and 13*13 respectively of Figure 10;

Referring to this drawing, and particularly to Figures 1 and 2, it will be seen the embodiment of the invention therein shown comprises a locking bar 10 of relatively thin sheet metal formed with a central sleeve 11. The locking bar is transversely concave and the sleeve 11 completes the circle. This sleeve 11 is preferably formed by tongues on the locking bar which are arcuately bent soas to approximately meet at the middle of the looking bar.

On each side of the sleeve 11 there are formed inwardly bent flanges 12 which are downwardly concave but which are urged upward by the resilience of the metal so that they will normally stand above the bottom of the locking bar 10. Coacting with this locking bar is a penetrating tongue 13 having its end portion 14 disposed at right angles to the body of the tongue, the base portion of this tongue being formed by a spiral 15. It is to be understood that this is purely illustrative and that the base portion of the tongue might be of other material and that the tongue need not be formed circular in cross section but might be oval, cylindrical or fiat.

The resilient flanges 12 will normally prevent the locking bar from being slipped upon the portion 14 of the tongue but by pressing the locking bar against the portion 14 the flanges 12 will be forced inward and then the portion 14 may be slipped into the sleeve 11. Once in place within this sleeve 11 the flanges 12 will force the tongue outward against the sleeve and frictionally lock the tongue in place within the sleeve so that the locking bar and the tongue are frictionally engaged with each other against any accidental detachment. In this case it will be seen that the flanges 12 on both sides of the sleeve 11 bear upward against the tongue to frictionally engage it and lock it in place within the sleeve.

In Figure 6, I show another form of looking bar wherein the bar 10 has a relatively elongated sleeve 11, the locking bar at one end of the sleeve being formed to provide the inwardly bent, resilient flanges 12 In this case, the flanges 12 terminate short of the sleeve 11 and normally the flanges will impede the insertion of the pointed end 14 of the tongue 13 into the sleeve, but as soon as the tongue is in place these resilient flanges 12 will spring up behind the tongue and prevent or impede its remsvat Thus the Zil locking bar is in this case detachably engaged with the tongue and the locking bar held from removal thereon. If the locking bar be only partially inserted within the sleeve portion 11 the flanges will bear upward against the locking bar and frictionally engage it. Thus, in case a clerk should heedlessly dispose the locking bar upon the pin without pushing the locking bar fully home, the locking bar will not become detached but will hold in place. Of course, if the locking bar be pushed fully home, the flanges will spring past the tongue and the locking bar will beflrmly locked in place.

In Figure 10, I illustrate still another form of my invention embodying the same principles as those previously stated, in which the locking bar consists of a flat strip 10 of metal having four inwardly turned flanges '16, these flanges being resilient, as before stated, and being urged by their resilience outwardfrom the strip. The tongue in this instance is formed of a flat strip 13 having a portion 14L and a base portion 15*. This tongue is insertible beneath either pair of flanges 16 and in either direction. Vhen inserted beneath one pair of flanges, the other pair of flanges will spring upward, thus locking the tongue in place and preventing its removal.

In this case, one pair of flanges, it will be seen, acts as the equivalent of the sleeve 11 or the elongated sleeve 11, while the other pair of flanges has the function of the flanges 12 in Figure 6. In this form of my device, the tongue may be inserted in either direction, that is, beneath either pair of flanges, and the other pair of flanges will, of course, lock the tongue in place. While I have shown in this figure the strip 1O as being flat and the tongue 13 as being flat, I do not wish to be limited to this as the strip might be concavely curved transversely, as are the looking bars shown in Figures 1 and 6 and a tongue cylindrical in cross section be used.

I do not wish to be limited to the exact cross sectional structure of the holding bar, as this may be varied in many ways without departing in any way from the spirit of the invention. The bar may be transversely concavo-convex and the flanges extend inward or the bar may be transversely flat and the flanges extend approximately parallel to the base of the bar, the flanges, however, in all cases yieldingly bearing down upon the shank. This construction. may be used in connection with the holding bars illustrated in my Patent :/:/:1,557,996 or that shown in my Patent #1,638,763. It will be understood, therefore, that the principle of this invention may be embodied in looking bars adapted to engage with either flat tongues or tongues which are circular or elliptical in cross section or having any other desired form. It will be seen that this device is very simple,

form, and a locking bar having a tonguereceiving portion beneath which the tongue may be slid, and flanges disposed in alignment with the tongue-receiving portion, the flanges being resiliently urged outward.

2. A fastener of the character'described comprising a tongue angular in form and a locking bar consisting of a strip of thin metal bent to provide a tongue-receiving portion, and resilient flanges disposed to one side of but in alignment with the tongue-receiving portion, the resilience of the flanges urging them outward.

3. A fastener of the character described comprising a tongue angular in form and a locking bar coacting therewith comprising a strip of thin metal, the lateral margins of the strip along oneportion of its length being formed to provide two lugs bent over to approximately meet and constitute a tonguereceiving portion, the remainder of the strip having longitudinally extending, marginal flanges extending over the body of the strip and urged outward by their own resilience.

4. A fastener of the character described comprising a tongue angular in form, and a locking bar formed of a strip of thin metal, the margin of the strip being formed to provide four flanges turned over upon the faces of the strip, one pair of flanges 'beingin align ment with the other pair of flanges and slightly spaced from each'other, the flanges of one pair being urged outward from the body of the strip by theirown resilience. 7

5. A fastener of the character described comprising a tongue angular in form, and a locking bar formed of a strip of thin metal, the margin of the strip being formed to provide four flanges turned over upon the faces of the strip, one pair of-flanges'being in alignment with the other pair of flanges and slightly spaced from each other, both pairs of flanges being urged outward from the face of the strip by their own resilience whereby to act to lock the tongue in place when the angular end of the tongue is inserted beneath one of the pairsof flanges.

6. A fastener of the character described comprising a fastening tongue angularly bent, the extremity of the tongue being pointed, and a locking bar coacting therewith having a folded-over portion adapted to receive the pointed tongue, and a portion integral with the looking bar :and acting to spring up behind the tongue When so inserted and lock it in place.

7. A fastener of the character described comprising a fastening tongue angularly bent, the extremity of the tongue being pointed, a locking bar coasting therewith having a folded-over portion adapted to receive the but urged outward to lock the tongue in place 1 after insertion.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

GEORGE H. ENNIS. 

